With the torturous winter we've endured in the Great White North, it's hard to fathom a Californian singing about trying to keep warm.

Thus is the case with Newbury Park band The Neighbourhood (a.k.a. THE NBHD), whose dark, infectious tune Sweater Weather has launched them into the alternative rock stratosphere over the past year after the release of their debut I Love You last April.

The lyrical obsession with climate as well as the spelling of the band's name had us wondering if frontman Jesse Rutherford was actually a Canadian at heart - or at least had some lineage in his family.

"Actually, you know what? I do," Rutherford says emphatically, and seemingly shocked at the Canuck query. "I've never thought about it until just this minute. I think it's on my dad's side -- I have to find out now, and I'll let you know," he says with a laugh.

Talking down the line from Montreal and battling a nasty bug before a cross-Canada tour, Rutherford also talked to QMI Agency about their quick rise to fame, brand new music they're working on, and whether they are tired of playing their signature song.

You guys have made quite an impact since the release of your debut, and it seems like right off the hop you were nabbing high-profile gigs like Coachella last year, and Edgefest and Osheaga here. How did you manage to turn heads so quickly?

I think the music was in the right place, and we had the right package to complete it. The music perked up a lot of ears and when they saw visually what we were about then people connected the dots and things started to happen.

You've been on the bill with some pretty big bands over the last year, especially on the festival circuit. Did you get any career advice?

No, not really (laughs). We really don't know anybody, outside of peers we tour with, and we are all friends. It's not like 'Oh, we were hanging out with Miley Cyrus last night!' It's not like that at all.

Here’s a remarkable fact — Sweater Weather has now been viewed over 24 million times on YouTube. Do you still get as much joy playing it now as you did when you released it?

It's absolutely crazy (the YouTube views). It's a cool song, and look at what that song has done for us. I still play it back and say 'that's cool, that's an interesting part.' It's still growing on me.

What have your personal highlights been from the last year?

When Sweater Weather went platinum, that was a huge deal and super crazy for us. I think the past year has been very nice, but I'm looking forward now - we just want to keep it going -- we're very hungry. I think just being able to not have to wake up and have a 9-to-5 job or have to go to school or any of that s--- -- and the fact that I get paid to be creative is nice.

Have you guys been working on any new music and when do you think fans will get to hear it?

There's so much new music. There's an entire new project coming out called Black & White, and it'll be out soon we hope. We are wrapping it up soon, and we'll let the music speak for itself -- I don't like to talk about it much.